Close To Home
by MarieRock
Summary: Renji and Mina have been together for two years. They've overcome many difficult and dangerous obstacles, but can they handle a surprise pregnancy? Sequel to Far Away. RenjiXOC. Sorry for the lame summary! :
1. Chapter 1

Okay, so I'm ready to start the sequel for Far Away! :D I have a solid plot for this one and I'm just way too excited to write it! :)

Before I start I want to thank **DetroitBleachWings** SO much for helping me with a brilliant idea to go along with this. It won't be known in this chapter, but when it comes up I'll be sure to let you know! :P It's great! Oh, and I owe her a thanks for coming up with the great title, I think it's too cute! :)

Alright, here we go! :D And by the way, sadly I will be switching the POV's again. I don't know if that bothers anyone else, but I hate it. It's just me taking the easy way out, ha ha! :P Sorry all!

_-:-_

_ Mina's POV:_

It all started May third. I woke and rolled over in bed, soon realizing that Renji had left without waking me up. _Again_. It wasn't that big of a deal, I really wasn't that mad about it. I had been feeling sick the night before and soon realized I still felt pretty crappy. Standing, I walked to my bathroom, grabbing my tooth brush.

As I stood in front of the medicine cabinet and brushed my teeth I noticed how nauseous I felt. While spitting the foaming paste into the sink I froze and held my stomach. Suddenly I was puking in the sink, trying to keep all my hair out of the way. I straightened up and wiped my mouth off, the taste of vomit filling my mouth.

After washing all the puke down the sink and finishing brushing my teeth I went downstairs and found my mom in the kitchen. "Mom, I don't feel good, I'm staying home today."

She approached me and placed her hand on my forehead. "Hm. You don't have a fever. What's wrong?"

"I threw up, my stomach feels really weird," I answered, my voice whiny.

"Alright, Sweety. Go ahead and go back to bed. I'll get you something light to eat."

I did what I was told and went back upstairs, thinking I was sick.

_-:-_

A week and a half later and I was still stuck at home, sick. I hadn't bothered going to the doctor, but by then my mom was insisting I did. I told her I was fine, but she made an appointment anyway.

As we sat in the waiting room, awaiting for a nurse to come out and call my name, my mom nudged me with her elbow. "I'm going to wait out here, you mind?" she asked.

"No, it's fine," I answered, continuing to flip through the magazine I had been skimming since we got there.

After fifteen more minutes a woman in scrubs stepped out of the door that led to the examining rooms. "Mina Aburamai?" she asked, her eyes gliding across the room, finally landing on me as I stood. I approached her and waved slightly, giving her a weak smile.

"Hello, Mina. Come on back," she said, smiling back at me and then leading me into the room I was assigned. She checked my temperature and blood pressure, asking me routine questions. "Have you been eating healthy?"

"Uh, yeah, before I got sick. I haven't been eating much at all since then."

She nodded and typed into her computerized file of me. "Alright...Have you been sexually active?" she asked, looking back up at me, causing my cheeks to burn.

"Um, yes," I stated, only able to hold her gaze for a second.

Nodding again, she questioned, "When was the last time?"

"Like...two weeks ago maybe. I'm not sure."

"When did you last menstruate?"

"Uh, it was supposed to be last week, but it never happened." My answer got an strange look from her.

"Alright, so what are your symptoms?"

"I've been sick to my stomach and throwing up a lot. Lack of appetite," I answered, folding my hands in my lap.

"Okay. Well," she started, standing from her seat and picking up her computer. "The doctor will be with you soon." And with that she was gone.

I only had to wait for a few minutes before the doctor came into the room, smiling down at me. "Hey, Mina. You must not feel good," she said, gesturing to the clothes I had refused to change out of just to go to the doctor's office. I was clad in a baggy long sleeved shirt and a pair of gray sweatpants.

Nodding I smiled slightly, ready for this appointment to be over with.

"So, you've been throwing up a lot have you?" she asked.

"Well, not necessarily a lot. But my stomach's been feeling really weird for awhile now."

"Oh, okay. Well, when did this start?"

"About a week and a half ago," I answered, absently leaning back in my chair.

She nodded and gave me a funny look. She seemed worried, which caused me to worry.

"Alright, Mina, I'm going to be blunt with you. We're going to do several tests on you and one of them is going to be a pregnancy test," she stated, looking me right in the eyes. I felt my eyebrows raise at her comment and I nodded slowly.

"Oh...kay...," I said, starting to panic.

"It's not necessarily likely, you could just have a stomach flu. But it's not impossible. So, don't stress out about it, we'll take care of you."

An hour later they had taken a ton of blood from me, had me give them a urine sample, and of course the dreaded pregnancy test, which my mom was not told about. The doctor said no need worrying her if I'm not pregnant. She did a normal examination to see if I had the flu and took a few tests to see if I had strep throat.

"Alright, we've got all we need," she said, smiling down at me. "Like I said before, don't worry too much about these tests. We'll call you at home in a few hours and let you know how they turned out," she stated reassuringly.

"Can't you tell me whether I'm pregnant or not now? That one should be done," I asked, my nervousness slipping into my voice.

"I'm sorry, Dear. It's policy that we give all the information at the same time. We haven't even looked at it yet. So don't worry. Just go home and in the meantime, relax. Okay?" she asked, patting me on the shoulder comfortingly.

"Okay. Thank you, for everything."

"No problem, Sweety," she responded, her smile growing. "Go ahead and have your mother sign you out. You can expect a phone call in no more than three hours."

With that I went back into the waiting room, told Mom we had to wait on some tests at home, and had her sign me out. While she was talking to the nurse at the desk I went to the car and sat in the passenger seat, trying to imagine what I'd do if I was _pregnant_.

_Don't worry about that, Mina,_ I thought, forcing myself to calm down. _You take birth control, you can't be pregnant. I mean, it's not _impossible_, but your not. There's no need to panic, everything's fine._

My mother climbed into the car and buckled up, looking over at me. "Aw, Sweety, you look so pale. Let's go home and get you in bed," she said, patting my leg gingerly.

When we got home I sat on the couch and waited next to the phone, a blanket drawn around my shoulders. My mom made me soup and got me a bottle of water, scolding me for waiting. "You should rest, don't worry about when the doctors call, I'll get it."

That's_ what I'm worried about, _I thought, absently shrugging as a response.

I stayed next to that phone for hours, sitting there with my legs drawn to my chest, resting my head on my knees. Eventually I fell asleep, unable to help myself. Maybe twenty minutes later the phone rang, waking me up slowly. As I looked up, now fully awake, I noticed my mom standing over me, the phone glued to her ear. I sat up, anticipating what they had to say. I watched my mom's face for signs of bad news.

"Mm hm...yeah...," she said, a frown crossing her features. _Oh no..._

"Alright,well, I'll be sure to let her know," she said, glancing down at me. "Thank you." With that she hung up the phone and looked down at me, her face pale.

"What Mommy?" I asked, playing the "kiss up" game.

"You're pregnant?"

My eyes widened as I got the news. My breathe came in shallow intervals as I began to freak out.

"W-what!" I asked, standing abruptly.

"They said you're pregnant! Mina, why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't know! I...Mom, what am I going to do?" I shouted, tears stinging my eyes.

She stepped closer to me and hugged tightly, running a hand through my hair comfortingly. "Sh, everything will be okay."

I shook my head and cried loudly, burying my face in her shoulder. She continued to sooth me for the next hour as I bawled, terrified of the child inside of me.

_-:-_

Later that night Rukia and Ichigo stopped by, dropping off my homework. They found me on the couch, a pile of used tissues in a small trash can I had placed next to me. Rukia sat next to me while Ichigo took his place on the sturdy coffee table placed in the living room area of my apartment.

"Are you feeling any better, Mina?" Rukia asked, smiling at me while placing a hand on my forearm.

I shook my head and wiped away fresh tears that built up from her words.

"What? What's wrong?" Ichigo asked, his voice full of concern as he handed me a new tissue.

Taking it I thanked him and looked down at my feet. "Mina," Rukia started, her smile fading. "What is is?"

"I'm...I went to the doctor today and they ran tons of tests on me...and...and I'm pregnant!" I exclaimed, hiding my face in my hands as I continued to cry.

Rukia laid her hand on my back as they both were silent. I had already given up on them responding by the time Rukia asked, "Is it Renji's?"

"Of course it is," I answered, imagining his reaction for the first time. He had dumped me easily because he was afraid of me getting hurt. Though he came back, it didn't seem to be too hard for him to break up with me. And Rukia had told me two years ago when I first met him that she thought he was afraid of commitment. There was no way he wasn't going to leave me.

I heard Rukia sigh quietly as I straightened up. "Have you heard from him lately?"

"Yeah. He's not going to be able to come back for two, maybe three months. But I can always go and tell him the situation, the Head Captain will let him come and stay with you-" she began before I cut her off.

"No, no...," I started. "This could be a good thing. I'll tell him when I'm ready, but maybe he should be away for awhile. I don't want him to be...overwhelmed."

"Mina, that's not fair to you. You'll be here by yourself-, well, not by yourself, you have us. But you need him. You need someone to help you through this, or you'll be overwhelmed," she said sternly.

I nodded and stared down at my hands. After a moment of silence I looked back up at Rukia and nodded. "Well, please, just give me awhile. I'll tell him," I answered, smiling at her slightly.

She grabbed my hand in a friendly manor and squeezed it. "Don't panic, okay? If you need anything, you can call me or Ichigo and just let us know," she said and Ichigo nodded in approval.

"Thank you, you guys," I said, grabbing Ichigo's hand with my free one and smiling at each of them before letting their hands go.

"Do you know what you're going to do with it?" Ichigo asked, his concern clear in his tone.

"Yeah. I've always known that I'd never get an abortion. Ever. I just don't believe in it," I started, absently brushing some wrinkles out of my sweatpants. "And I'm not...going to give it up for adoption."

"Wow, Mina. Are you sure?" Rukia asked.

"Yes. I'm sure."

"Alright, well, don't think about it too much," she said, smiling at me reassuringly.

The next hour Ichigo and Rukia helped me with the homework I had missed and distracted me from my problem. Well, they tried. After the hour they had to get home.

"Remember, you can call us whenever you need us," Rukia said, grabbing my arm carefully, smiling warmly.

"Thanks again. Both of you," I said, smiling at them both weakly. After they left I laid back down on the couch and looked down at my stomach, trying to imagine it huge. _Don't worry, it wont be long before you won't be able to avoid it, _I thought, grimacing.

I laid on the couch for another half an hour before falling asleep, trying to find a way to tell Renji about our situation.

_-:-_

Okay, so there's the first chapter of my sequel! :D I hope you all liked it, it's a little strange for an intro chapter, but I suppose it's not too bad. I hope, ha ha! :P

Anyway, please review! :D Let me know what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

Okay, I am back. I hope that you're all enjoying this. I feel like I've lost some readers, but oh well. :) I just want to know what you're all thinking. I know I could improve, so just let me know if you have any suggestions or comments. :P I'd really appreciate it!

And the concept that Mina brings up in the beginning of this chapter is the one **DetroitBleachWings**! :D Thanks again!

Alright, were it is! Chapter 2!

_-:-_

_ Mina's POV:_

A few days after I found out I was pregnant my mom took me to see an OB GYN. It was too early for a sonogram, but she told me things I could be doing to make sure the baby was healthy. She gave me some vitamins and a few pamphlets on prenatal care. She told me I was already a month and a half pregnant which was why I had already started having morning sickness.

All of the new information was overwhelming. The doctor seemed notice by the end of our appointment, so did my mother. They assured me I'd have all the help I needed. I began to relax but of course I was still panicked about everything. I was able to smile and nod to reassure them that I was alright, seeming to satisfy both the doctor and Mom.

By the time I got home there was only a few minutes before school ended. Rukia and Ichigo had gotten accustomed to coming over to my apartment after school and helping me with the homework I missed. When they arrived that afternoon Ichigo asked to use the restroom and I pointed in the direction of the hallway. Rukia sat on the couch next to me and smiled. I looked back at her frantically and scooted closer to her.

"Rukia, I know it's been awhile, but surely you didn't forget our deal," I said, getting a surprised look from her.

"W-what are you talking about?" she asked innocently.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about," I whispered.

"Look, Mina...I really can't do it," she said sternly.

"What do you mean? We had an agreement! If one of us got pregnant while in high school so would the other!" I exclaimed, keeping my voice low.

"Mina, listen to how ridiculous you sound! I'm _not_ purposely getting pregnant."

"But you agreed to it! You said you would! I'd do it for you," I responded, a frown crossing my features.

Looking away, she said, "I agreed in case _I_ got pregnant."

"What? You never planned on keeping your promise?" I demanded, feeling like a bigger idiot.

"No," she admitted, looking guilty. "But you're such a good kid, I never imagined you getting knocked up. I should have known better, you are with _Renji_," she said, muttering her last statement bitterly.

"Rukia, that's horrible," I said, my frown deepening.

"I'm sorry. Okay? I never expected this to actually happen. But I can't get pregnant," she answered, laying a hand on my arm. I knew she was right, it really was a ridiculous pact we had made, but I really didn't want to be alone in this.

"But you're plenty old enough," I said, smiling slightly as I teased her.

"Hey, watch it," she said, returning the gesture.

Before I could reply Ichigo came down the hall and sat on the couch next to Rukia. She looked over at me and rose her eyebrows, signaling me to drop the subject. I nodded slightly and leaned back against the couch, sighing tiredly.

"Have you told Renji yet?" Rukia asked, absently grabbing Ichigo's hand as his other arm rested against the couch behind her shoulders, scooting closer to her.

I shook my head. "No, I haven't," I answered guiltily. "He seemed to be in a really good mood yesterday, I didn't want to ruin it," I stated, making an excuse.

"You spoke to him and just acted like everything was fine?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow slightly.

Nodding I looked down at my hands. "I just...can't tell him. Not right now. Give me a few weeks. I mean, I haven't even began to deal with this myself. I can't tell him, not yet," I stated, getting a nod from Rukia.

"Alright, alright. Take as long as you need," she said, smiling back at my worried face warmly.

I nodded back at her and thanked her. _Yeah, Mina. Take as long as you need before you tell him._

_-:-_

I was sitting in my room, idly trying to watch the television and catch up on some homework while forgetting my horrible day I had had. It was three in the morning, but I couldn't sleep, memories of the day flashing by in my head.

_It was July second, which meant I was about three months pregnant by now. Ichigo, Rukia, and I were out preparing to watch fireworks the town usually displayed at the beginning of the summer. Their first date had to be rescheduled because someone stole half of the fireworks they had prepared or something._

_ We were out, walking around town. I was clad in a yellow sun dress and a white cardigan sweater, sandals adorning my feet. Again, I was three months pregnant and the dress didn't hide the little baby bump that I had accumulated at all. As we were spending the day in town together we ran into some of our school mates. Tatsuki, Orihime, Ishida, Chad, Keigo, and Mizuru were all together at a coffee shop that Ichigo, Rukia, and I decided to stop at. They immediately approached us and asked us what we were up to._

_ "Hey Mina," Keigo started, grinning at me in an all too familiar way. He soon noticed my stomach and rudely asked, "How'd you gain so much weight?"_

_ I was going to slap him in the face, really I was, but Ichigo stepped in. "Leave her the hell alone, Keigo! That's none of your business!" he exclaimed, his eyebrows knit further together as he held onto his friends shirt collar tightly, standing in front of him in an intimidating manor._

_ "Sorry!" he whined, backing down right away._

_ I ignored him and went to the counter, asking for a plan coffee, decaf. Keigo overheard and cocked his eyebrow as he watched me curiously. I glanced over at him and glared. "Can I help you?" I questioned with a sharp tone._

_ "What's going on? Decaf? And you've gotten huge. It looks like you're-...," he stopped, his eyes widening. He quickly turned away from me and headed toward Mizuru, leaning closer to him and whispering in his ear. Right in front of me._

_ I stepped away from the counter and stood in front of the group, hands on my hips, glaring at Keigo. "How dare you gossip about me when I'm right in front of you!" I exclaimed, gaining everyone's attention. "Don't you dare start spreading crap about me, you idiot! If you have a guess, I suggest you ask me before you go running your mouth like you know everything!"_

_ "You're pregnant?" he shouted out, knowing that's not what I meant._

_ Sighing, I nodded, but before I could say anything he said, "And it's Ichigo's?"_

_ "What!" Ichigo asked, glaring at the short male. "Hell no!"_

_ "Then why are you being so protective over her?" Keigo asked._

_ "Because you're being an ass to her! Just shut the fuck up, I'm _not_ it's father!" he responded, his face slightly tinting pink. By then Rukia had taken a step closer to him and grabbed his hand, a glare on her face._

_ "Then who's is it?" he demanded while the other stared at me with him. I noticed Tatsuki and Orihime giving me looks of pity, making me feel even more uncomfortable._

_ "I haven't even told him, why would I tell you?" I responded curtly._

_ After a few moments of silence Orihime asked, "Well, how far along are you?", stepping closer to her boyfriend, Ishida._

_ "About three months," I answered, not returning her concerned stare._

_ "A small decaf!" the boy at the cash register said, looking at me. I payed for my coffee and grabbed the cup, giving Ichigo a look that told him I wanted to leave._

_ "We gotta go," he said immediately, waving at the group slightly with his free hand, Rukia still clutching the other angrily. He looked stern and angry, more so than usual. "See you guys later."_

_ "Wait," Tatsuki called, stopping us. "Are you guys seeing the fireworks tonight?"_

_ "Yeah."_

_ "Call me, we can meet up together," she said with a pleasant smile._

_ We didn't end up going after all. I insisted Ichigo and Rukia go ahead, but they continued to wonder through the town with me, keeping me company._

Sighing, I couldn't get over how embarrassed I had felt with everyone looking at me like I was...horrible. Their stares were full of pity, but if felt like they all looked down on me. Which makes sense, I got that look from a lot of people since my stomach started to become more noticeable.

I laid down on my bed, pushing my hair out of my face. Since I got pregnant my hair had been growing even longer and at a faster rate, I had to cut it every other week to keep it at a tolerable length. After minutes I was uncomfortable and decided to sit back up. As I did so I heard something move in the living room area. My room was right at the end of the hallway and I had the door closed. I soon realized that it was footsteps and assumed it was my mom getting a glass of water or something.

Ignoring the sound, I rested against the wall and folded my hands in my lap, staring at the TV but not really hearing it. Suddenly my bedroom door flung open and as I looked up my eyes widened. Renji was standing in the doorway in his gigai, clad in a pair of ripped up jeans and a long sleeved shirt. As he first opened the door he had a wide grin on his face but it soon fell. Shock took over his expression as he stared at me, unmoving from the doorway, his hand wrapped tightly around the door knob.

After a moment of us just staring wide-eyed at each other, I said, "R-Renji...I thought you weren't coming home for another month or so..."

He slowly shook his head, having an answer but too shocked to say it. I allowed it to sink in, frowning up at him as he just stared back, looking horrified.

"You...," he started, trailing off. "Did you...just...get fat?" he questioned, knowing the answer to his hopeful question.

Shaking my head, my frown deepened. "No Renji. I'm...I'm pregnant," I answered, tears building up in my eyes. _Get ready to say goodbye, _I thought, preparing myself for him to run out on me.

But he didn't. He quickly crossed the room and stood in front of me, his hands gripped into tight fists nervously. "H-how far?" he asked quietly, his expression panicked.

Holding up three clammy fingers I muttered, "Three months."

"What are you going to do?" he questioned, sitting on the edge of the bed. His question upset me but angered me more. I stood and headed toward the kitchen quietly, expecting him to follow. He did.

"Mina! Answer me," he said, louder than he should have been.

"Sh, Renji," I said, opening the fridge door and peering in. After spotting a few bottles of water in the door compartment, I grabbed one and looked back at him. "I'm keeping it," I answered, taking a drink, recapping the bottle, and sitting it on the counter. My hands found their way to my hips as I slightly arched my back, standing in a very pregnant stance.

I noticed him glancing down at my stomach; none of the shock had left his face. "Why didn't you tell me? We've been talking almost everyday, why didn't you tell me about this earlier?" he demanded, his voice level rising.

"Renji, be quiet," I said.

"No! How long have you known, Mina?"

"Renji!" I exclaimed, grabbing his arms tightly. "_Sh_. Please. Just listen to me, okay? _Please_. The last thing I need right now is for you to be screaming at me. Just calm down, please." As I finished more tears flooded my eyes and Renji calmed down. I pulled a hand away and wiped away the fresh tears with the back of my hand. He grabbed my hand carefully and I noticed how sweaty his hands were.

I led him to the couch and sat down, pulling him next to me. "I've known for about a month and a half. And I didn't tell you because I thought you wouldn't come back. Or call me. I thought you'd leave," I said honestly, causing him to give me a guilty look. "I'm sorry, Renji. But I was too nervous to tell you."

Sighing, he rested his elbows against his knees and laid his head in his hands. He was silent for a few more moments before saying, "You should have told me. I would have been here right away."

"I'm sorry," I repeated.

He was silent for a few more minutes before sitting his head up and looking at me again. He looked terrified, it was the first time I had seen him look that way.

"I've learned a lot about the baby," I said, unable to stop a small smile from gracing my lips.

Noticing my gesture, he smiled slightly also, still looking freaked out of course. "Like?"

"Well, it's healthy so far. Everything's alright, there aren't any problems," I started, getting a nod from him. "They let me hear the heart beats, but it was a little hard to hear. They said it'll be easier as it develops more."

"And you're...going to be alright?" he asked.

I nodded and felt my smile grow. "They said I should be alright. They told me not to worry."

He nodded also and glanced over at the clock. "Mina it's almost four in the morning. Why are you still awake?"

"I had a bad day, I couldn't sleep," I answered, shrugging it off.

"What happened?"

"I just...ran into people from school and they obviously figured it out," I answered.

Renji stood and helped me up carefully. "Well, you should sleep. You look exhausted," he stated absently, leading me back to my room. I laid down and let Renji turn off the TV and the light. He sat on the bed next to me and I curled up closer to him.

"Aren't you going to sleep?" I asked.

"I'm not tired," he answered. Usually I would have objected to this, but didn't want to stress him out any further.

I assumed I would have trouble sleeping even though Renji was here. I was sure I would panic over the thought of him leaving while I slept. But I didn't. I scooted closer to him, grabbed his moist hand, and closed my eyes, sleep taking over me.

_-:-_

Okay, there's chapter two! :D

I know it seems like things are being rushed, but don't worry. They're going to slow down now! :)

Hope you all enjoyed, please review!


	3. Chapter 3

Okay, so I'm gonna try to sit down and write chapter three! :D I'm excited about this story but I hope all of you who are reading this are enjoying it too. :)

Anyway, here we go with chapter three! :3

_-:-_

_ Mina's POV:_

After sleeping for nearly nine and a half hours I woke to the sound of my mother's voice. I opened my eyes slowly and looked around my room, searching for any sign that Renji was still here or that him arriving hadn't just been a dream I had had. But there was nothing. Nothing in my room was moved as if he had been messing with anything, no bag detecting that he was staying, not even a single bandanna I usually found on the floor when he stayed at my apartment. Nothing that proved Renji had been in my presence at all.

My nerves got the better of me as I sat up slowly and carefully, standing from my bed and quickly walking down the hallway. My mother had been calling me from the small kitchen tucked away beside the living room. As I came to the end of the hallway I noticed Mom at the stove cooking pancakes. She smiled at me and asked me how many I wanted.

I began to panic, not really _believing_ he would do something so horrible as run out on me while I slept! I mean, sure, I worried about it, but even that was mild. Now I was waking up and he was just _gone_. The thought brought tears to my eyes.

"Mina, why are you still wearing your dress from yesterday? Did you crash last night?" my mother asked, glancing up at me, now noticing my upset and surprised expression. "Mina, Sweety, what's wrong?"

"H-have...have you seen Renj-" I began, cutting myself off as I heard the bathroom door open behind me. Spinning on my heels I saw Renji walk out of the small room, relief flooding through me. He absently tossed a towel into the hamper, cocking an eyebrow at my expression I'm sure. He was clad in a different pair of jeans and a dark blue T-shirt, his wet hair laying lazily against his shoulders.

"Renji," I sighed, absentmindedly holding a hand up above my chest, resting it along my collar bone.

"What? You okay?" he asked, clearly concerned.

I shook my head, pushing his questions aside. "Nothing, I'm fine," I answered.

"Mina, how many pancakes do you want?" my mother asked impatiently, although when I returned my attention to her she was smiling back at me.

"Two, thanks," I said, heading back down the hall.

"What are you doing now? They're almost done!" she called after me.

"Changing," I answered, not bothering to turn around.

Right as I closed my door I heard Renji ask, "Hiromi, is she alright?", causing me to smile slightly.

I slipped off my cardigan and yellow sun dress before replacing them with another loose dress. Dresses were the most comfortable thing to wear as my stomach grew more and more everyday and with the fact that it was summer. The dress I had put on was simple, pink with a floral design. There was an elastic waist band pulling the dress tighter just above my jutting stomach, the bottom of it flowing down my legs, stopping right above the knee. I didn't bother putting on a sweater to cover my bare shoulders and quickly headed back into the living room.

I noticed right away that my mother was missing, causing me to cock an eyebrow. "Where's mom?" I asked Renji, finding him sitting at the small table resting against the wall next to the hallway entrance, eating breakfast.

"She went to check the mail," he said absently, finally looking up at me. His eyes seemed to linger on my stomach, causing me to smile again.

He noticed my expression and said, "It's really weird to see you...like that."

Nodding I answered, "Try waking up one day and having it there." I was joking but he didn't seem to think it was funny. I didn't wait for an answer before grabbing my plate from the kitchen counter and taking a seat next to him at the table. I ate deliberately, not rushing myself. We sat in silence as there seemed to be to be an uncomfortable air in the room. It was really awkward sitting next to him, the guy who knocked me up, after being pregnant for so long. Thankfully Mom came back before we had to start forcing conversation.

She came up the stairs, looking through the envelopes she had retrieved from the mailbox. Absently she placed a new issue of the pregnancy magazine she had subscribed to for me next to my plate I was eating off of. "Are they alright?" she asked Renji, referring to the late breakfast she had made him.

"Yeah, thanks Hiromi," he answered.

"Good," she said, lightly patting him on the shoulder before continuing toward the couch, not looking up from the mail as she walked a memorized path. Plopping herself onto the couch she threw the mail onto the coffee table and looked at the clock. My mother didn't know about Renji or the Soul Society, but she knew there was something...different about him. We had talked about it before, carefully of course, so she knew Renji wasn't necessarily a high school student. Surprisingly enough, she didn't question me and allowed our relationship to continue. Her open-ness to our relationship had turned out be a _great_ idea on her part; not that I was blaming her for our mistake.

"When did you get home, Renji?" Mom asked, resting her feet on the coffee table, knocking some of the envelopes onto the floor carelessly.

"Around three," he answered, standing and taking his empty plate to the sink. As he returned from the kitchen he headed toward the couch, sitting on the opposite side as my mom, laying his feet on the coffee table also. His actions made it seem like he was avoiding me. I know that sounds stupid, but it just felt like he was trying to get away from me.

Before I had much time to think about it I heard the door open.

"Hey, Mina, why haven't you been answering your cell phone?" I heard Rukia's voice gain volume as she and Ichigo ascended the stairs. She was looking right at me, not noticing Renji's presences until Ichigo elbowed her lightly. As she glanced at him she spotted her friend on the couch, her eyebrows raising in surprise. "Renji, you...when did you get here?" she questioned.

"Around three this morning," my mother answered for him absently, not seeming to notice Rukia's serious tone.

"Uh, Mom?" I said, silently asking her to give us some space. She understood right away and stood.

"I'll go take a shower," she said absently, going down the hallway and heading for the bathroom connected to her room.

"So," Rukia started, leaving Ichigo's side to take a seat next to him. "You know." Her voice was collected and calm as she made her statement.

"Yes," he answered just as calmly.

Ichigo was watching them intently, a stern look on his face. He looked...angry. And I mean a lot angrier than he usually did. I didn't understand. After the two on the couch seemed to be done with their conversation, Ichigo took a step closer to the table and sat across from me.

"Hey, Mina, how are you today?" he asked, leaning back in his chair.

"I'm good, thank you," I answered, smiling at him.

"You sure? You seemed pretty upset last night," he continued, concerned. The way Ichigo seemed to look after me was overwhelming. He always seemed to be looking after me, right from the beginning. But now that I was pregnant he was just acting like I was his responsibility, like he really _was_ the father. And then I saw Renji's reaction to all of this and I just felt nervous. How horrible was that? I was felt so safe with Ichigo's watchful eye on me and the thought of Renji taking care of me and our baby scared the hell out of me!

"Mina?" Ichigo's voice brought me out of my thoughts.

"Oh, sorry," I said, smiling up at him. "I'm positive, just tired. Thank you, Ichigo."

He nodded but didn't look very convinced. "Alright," he answered, giving me a skeptical look before glaring off.

Suddenly Rukia stood from her seat, cradling her elbows in opposite palms, while turning to face Renji. "What are you going to do about this, Renji?" she asked.

Renji looked up at her, his eyebrows twitching as he tried to hold back a glare. "What are you talking about?"

"About Soul Society. What are you going to do? You're a captain, you can't just stay on Earth for the next six months," she stated, her hip cocking to side as she continued to interrogate him.

Sighing quietly, he said, "I really don't know. I'll just...have to talk to Yamamoto," he answered.

_How reassuring_, I thought, unable to keep the bitterness out of my internal tone. I had to stop this, it wasn't Renji's fault _I _didn't tell him about this sooner. He wasn't prepared, he found out the day before. Hell, even I wasn't prepared and I had known for a month and a half already. I had no right to be angry at him.

Sighing quietly, I pushed the thought away for now. Rukia looked over at me and smiled. "I brought you some clothes I bought yesterday," she said randomly. "Just hold on a second, they're in Ichigo's truck," she stated, walking across the room and descending the stairs speedily. As she left the apartment, I dismissed myself to the bathroom in the hallway, leaving Ichigo and Renji alone.

After a few minutes I started drying off my hands and heard Ichigo's voice. It was quiet, but stern. After pressing my ear to the door and listening intently, I finally understood what he was saying. "You better just take care of her," he stated bluntly, anger in his tone.

"Why don't you shut the hell up and mind your own business?" Renji snapped back, obviously pissed at Ichigo's silent accusation.

"Mina's my friend, I'm just looking out for her. The last thing she needs you to do is back out because you don't want a kid," Ichigo answered.

"I'm _not_ going to 'back out'!"

"Whatever, Renji."

"What the hell makes you think I'm going to leave her anyway?" said man demanded.

"I just do. And I'm not the only one, Rukia's worried about it too. Besides, Mina's not the only one who needs you, your kid does too."

"Rukia thinks I'm going to leave Mina?" Renji questioned, disbelief in his tone.

"Yeah," Ichigo answered.

"Well neither of you have any reason to worry. This is my mistake and I'm taking responsibility." Renji's angry answer caused my heart to clench. I know what he meant, getting me pregnant was the mistake, not being more careful, that. But his choice of words just made me want to cover up the baby's ears. _If it's developed it's ears..._, I thought. I still had plenty to learn about pregnancy.

"Fine," Ichigo answered, still sounding pissed as well. They grew silent so I decided to get back to them.

Rukia returned after I stepped back into the living room, breaking the silence the two boys and I had been surrounded in. "They were on sale, so don't think much of it. But they were so cute, I saw them and thought of you," she continued, approaching me with bags in hand. "Try them on!" she demanded, handing me the bags.

"Alright," I answered, heading back toward the bathroom. Most of it was dresses, but there were a few pair of jeans from a maternity brand, which fit great and comfortably. After trying on all the pieces Rukia had bought for me and changing back into my pink, floral dress, I exited the bathroom and sat the bag in my room. Then I headed back to the living room, crossing the room and sitting on the couch next to Renji.

"Thanks, Rukia, they're all really cute," I said, smiling up at her.

"No problem, I'm glad you like them," she answered. She now stood next to Ichigo, who was still at the table. Leaning against Ichigo, she lightly rested her hand on his head, her fingers running through his hair absently. Ichigo reacted by leaning closer to her as well, resting his head on her shoulder.

"We should go," he said to her, reluctantly sitting up again.

"Already?" I asked, clearly disappointed.

"Yeah, I'm supposed to be helping Dad at the clinic today," he answered, standing and grabbing Rukia's hand.

"Okay, well, be careful on your way home," I said, smiling up at them as they slipped their shoes on.

"Yep. You be careful, too," Rukia started, turning back to me. "You know how clumsy you can be, don't trip and hurt yourself. Or the baby." She smile widely as she teased me.

Returning the gesture, I nodded. "Yeah, I'll be careful."

"See ya, Mina," Ichigo began, turning toward the stairs. "If you need anything, let us know." With that, they left.

Leaning back on the couch, I scooted closer to Renji, resting my head against his shoulder. He instinctively grabbed my hand, our fingers intertwining as I heard my mother's bedroom door opening. She walked down the hallway, smiling at us as she pulled her wet hair back into a ponytail.

"Mina, don't forget. You have an appointment with your OB GYN tomorrow. Another sonogram," she said, going to the kitchen and opening the fridge.

"Oh, yeah. What time?" I asked absently, not looking forward to it. Those appointments bored me, other than the sonograms, so I guess it wouldn't be too bad.

"It's noon, I think. Renji, you gonna come with us?" my mother asked, causing me to look up at him.

His eyebrows rose slightly before he answered. "Uh...sure..."

"Alright," she said absently, heading back to her room.

Suddenly I felt more nervous. I felt bad, like my mother was forcing Renji to be involved, but I knew that wasn't the case. I just worried over how things were going to be between us if we continued to be awkward around each other. _Are things going to get easier with him around? _I questioned myself, nervously biting my lip while pulling closer to Renji.

_-:-_

Okay, so there's chapter three. Sorry if things are moving sort of slowly. I know the last chapter I apologized for rushing things last chapter, but now I feel like I'm...boring you. Am I? I'm honestly boring myself, that's why I'm sort of struggling with this, ah ha. :) Sorry all. But yeah, please review and let me know what you think! :D Next chapter more should happen, I'm starting to think ahead again! :D Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

Hello! :D I'm sorry it's been awhile, but I'm back to write chapter four! :P

Anyway, I don't have much to say, so here we go.

_-:-_

_ Renji's POV:_

The first day I spent back in the World of the Living went by pretty fast. Mina fell asleep at eight, even though she had only woken up a little after noon. Even though I hadn't slept at all the night before, I still didn't find myself tired. Not tired enough to sleep, at least.

Sitting on Mina's bed next to her still form, I couldn't help but think about what was happening. I had thought about it all night the night before, my reason for my lack of sleep, and I still couldn't believe it _was_ happening.

Looking down at Mina, of course the first thing I notice was her stomach. The sight caused my stomach to churn nervously. I couldn't imagine what I was going to do after Mina had it. I could handle taking care of Mina during the next six months, that wasn't a big deal. But after that...I had no idea. I didn't know what she expected of me, but whatever it was I probably couldn't do it. If she expected me to stay on Earth with her and the kid, there was nothing I could do about that really, except resign from being a shinigami. That wasn't happening. If she wanted a proposal, she'd be pretty disappointed. I had to adjust to being a father, I wasn't going to deal with getting married too.

Sighing, I laid back, covering my eyes with my arm, trying to push the thoughts away. Everything about our situation was making me panic, it was frustrating. I couldn't imagine myself being a father, not at good one at least. And everyone was just going to expect me to know what I was doing, but I had no idea.

Groaning, I forced these thought away also, trying to make myself sleep. Mina shifted next to me, her hand reaching out and grabbing mine. Enclosing my hand around hers, I pulled my hair tie out of my hair, took my bandanna off my forehead, and threw them both on the floor. Then I closed my eyes and eventually fell asleep.

_-:-_

I woke suddenly to the feel of something on my face. I brushed it away, annoyed, before it landed back on my forehead again. I sat up while swatting it away again, soon realizing it was a Hell Butterfly. Rubbing my eyes I noted that it was almost midnight, causing me to sigh. Once it noticed that I was awake it started giving me my message. _"To the captain of the Sixth Division, Renji Abarai. You are to return to the Soul Society and report to the Head Captain immediately. That is all."_

Sighing, I sat up carefully, pulling away from Mina, causing her to shift in her sleep. I grabbed a notebook and a pen from her desk and wrote her a note telling her where I was. After ripping the paper out of the spiral notebook and sitting it all on her desk, I laid back down next to her and got out of my gigai and headed out the window, curious as to why Yamamoto had called me back so soon.

_-:-_

_Mina's POV:_

I woke slowly, hearing my mother's voice float into my room. Sitting up, I looked down and saw Renji's still form. He was laying on his back, his arms lazily resting at his sides, one hand tightly holding onto mind. He looked too still, worrying me.

I tugged on his arm, pulling my hand away, and noticed he didn't even stir. I brushed some of his loose hair off his brow and said, "Renji, wake up." Still, he didn't respond. I stood from the bed carefully, walking around the bed and getting ready to attempt to shake him awake, when I saw a note on my desk. Picking it up, I saw that it said, "_Mina, I got called back. I should return in the next few days. Sorry I couldn't make your appointment. Love, Renji._"

Sighing, I sat the paper back on the desk and headed toward the door. As I approached the kichen, my mother saw the frustration on my face and cocked an eyebrow. "You okay, Mimi?" she questioned, using the nicname my father had given me years ago. It was the first time she had called me that since my father's death and it surprsingly barely effected me.

"Yeah, I'm just annoyed," I began, entering the small area my mother was making breakfast in and leaning against an unoccupied wall lazily. "Renji had to leave last night, he'll be gone for a few days."

"Oh. Well, Sweety, it's not his fault. Besides, maybe a few days away will be good for him. Maybe he'll figure out what he's going to do," she answered. Again, she wasn't suspicious of where he was, she knew a lot more than she led us to believe, I was sure of that. But she never questioned me and never demanded any sort of explanation. I was grateful for that, that's for sure.

"Yeah, I guess," I said, only agreeing to end the conversation. I was still annoyed, even though I knew she was right.

"You want some breakfast? I'm making some grilled cheese sandwiches," she said, not waiting for me to answer before scooping two onto an plate and handing it to me. She placed the ketchup on the counter for me.

"Thanks, Mom," I said, taking the food and ketchup and heading toward the couch. After I dumped some ketchup onto my plate, I sat the bottle on the coffee table and began eating, tucking my legs under me. Mom soon joined me on the couch, plate in hand. I absently noticed that she was only eating a half a sandwich and cocked an eyebrow. "That's all you're gonna eat?"

"Yep," she stated, smiling over at me. "Don't worry about me, I'm just not hungry. Monitor your own food, you're the one eating for two," she continued, her smile widening.

I smiled also and my hand automatically went to my stomach at the mention of the baby. "Yeah, I know," I said, smoothing out some wrinkles on the T-shirt Renji had loaned me. The shorts I usually wore in the summer were too small and none of my T-shirts were long enough to wear alone.

My mother quickly finished eating and stood, heading toward the kitchen. Placing her plate in the sink, she moved to the hallway entrance and turned to look at me. "I'm gonna go see the clothes Rukia got you," she said, smiling, and heading to my room. At first I thought nothing of it, but soon remembered that Renji had left his gigai on my bed. My mother had never seen his gigai when he wasn't in it, and she didn't know all the little details, so I assumed it might freak her out. Standing, I followed her into my room quickly.

She had stopped in the doorway, staring at it with a neutral face. I walked around her carefully and watched her, waiting for her to respond. "He's not...there," she said quietly.

I nodded. "Uh, do you want me to...explain it?" I asked, not really wanting to in fear of getting myself or Renji into further trouble with Yamamoto.

"No, no," she answered immediately. "The less I know, the better." She walked toward the bed and looked down at Renji's still gigai. She carefully pushed some hair out of it's face as she inspected it, the gesture motherly. After pulling her hand away, the hair fell back into the gigai's face. She placed her hand on the body's chest, causing me to cock an eyebrow slightly. She looked ovre her shoulder at me and asked, "It doesn't breath when he's...gone?"

I shrugged. "I really haven't noticed. I suppose not," I answered, pushing my bangs off my brow for a moment before they fell back in my face.

Mom pulled her hand away and nodded slowly. Finally, she turned to me and smiled again, her hands finding her way to her hips. "Okay, I wanna see the clothes," she stated happily. I figured she was content with seeing Renji's lone body and it was good enough for her.

Nodding, I smiled also and grabbed the bag Rukia had brought me the day before from my closet. Mom took the bag from me carefully and stepped to the foot of the bed, placing the pieces of clothing on it while examining them while avoiding Renji's long legs. "Aw, Mina, look at these cute jeans!" she said. "Do they fit okay?"

"Yeah, they have an elastic band in the waistline, they're super comfortable," I stated, smiling at my mother's excitment.

"You should wear them today, and this cute shirt," she said, holding up a yellow dressy looking blouse. It had an elastic band right above where my belly started sticking out and had short sleeves that were loose.

"Okay," I said, shrugging and grabbing the clothes from my mother's hands when she handed them to me.

After taking a quick shower and getting dressed, Rukia and Ichigo came over like they usually did. Both took their place on the couch and I joined them, sitting next to Ichigo after grabbing us all bottles of water. Both thanked me and I leaned back against the couch tiredly.

"Where's Renji, Mina?" Rukia asked, peering around her boyfriend to see me.

"Oh, he got called back to Soul Society in the middle of the night," I said, disappointment clear in my tone.

"Hm. Well, don't worry. Now he can talk to Yamamoto and figure out how he's going to stay here for the next six months," she answered, smiling at me reassuringly.

I nodded, returning the gesture. "Yeah, I know. Thanks."

"No problem," she stated, changing the subject. "Me and Ichigo are going to go see a movie, wanna come with us?"

Shaking my head, I said, "No, thanks, but I can't. I have to go the doctor today."

"What time?" she questioned.

"Noon."

"Oh, well, we can wait. They're playing the same movie at twelve-thirty, two, and four-thirty. We don't mind," she continued, smiling again.

I shrugged before saying, "If you really don't mind waiting."

"Of course not," she said, standing and tugging on Ichigo's hand. "We better get back home before Yuzu serves lunch without us. Call us when you get done with your appointment and we'll be back to pick you up." At her words, Ichigo stood and shoved his unoccupied hand into his pocket.

"Alright, thanks. See you guys later," I said, waving slightly.

"See ya," Rukia stated.

"Bye, Mina," Ichigo said before they retreated down the steps and left.

_-:-_

My appointment didn't take very long. Mom and I got there a few minutes after twelve and they saw us right away. All my OB GYN wanted to do was a sonogram, so it took a little over a half an hour.

As I entered the room, I saw her sitting in the chair placed next to the bed in the center of the room. "Hello, Dr. Hayashi. How are you?" I asked, smiling down at her.

"Hey, Mina," she answered. "Remember, call me Amaya, okay?" she said in a friendly tone. "I'm pretty good, thanks. How about you? How have you been?"

"Pretty good, thanks," I answered, absently leaning my weight against the bed.

"So, have you told the father yet?" she questioned, giving me a stern look. The gesture was extremely motherly, causing my smile to widen.

"Yep. Yesterday," I stated.

"Good. And I suppose he took it well if you're still smiling," she answered, her smile widening.

"Kind of," I said, shrugging slightly.

"Is he staying with you?"

Nodding I answered, "Yeah."

"Great, I'm glad," she answered. "Where is he, he didn't come?"

"No, he had to leave suddenly last night," I began. "He said he'll be back in the next few days."

"Oh. Alright, well, I hope to meet him one of these days," Amaya answered, absently pulling out the supplies she would need. "Go ahead and lie down. Just a sonogram today, so there's no need for you to get into a gown today. Just lift your shirt."

I nodded and carefully laid down on the bed with my mother's help. Soon Dr. Hayashi was spreading the cold gel over my swollen stomach and had turned the screen on so I could see the baby. Mom sat next to me and grabbed my hand as she watched the screen, amazed at how big the baby had gotten.

"So," Amaya began, her voice interrupting our trance. "It seems your baby is developing at a quick pace. It's nothing to worry about, nothing's wrong with the baby. It can actually be a good thing. Teenage mothers usually give birth to premature babies, so even if that happens, yours should be pretty well developed. Of course, that all depends on how early you deliver, but I don't think you'll have a problem."

"So the baby's alright?" my mom asked, clearly releived.

"Yep. Why? Were you worrying, Hiromi?" Dr. Hayashi questioned, smiling at her.

"A little. I had a really hard time with Mina when I was pregnant, I thought she might have trouble too," she answered, returning the gesture.

"Well, there doesn't seem to be any reason to worry. The baby is growing fast, faster than most, but again, nothing to worry about. Mina seems perfectly healthy and she says she's taking all the vitamins I've suggested. She seems to be in tip top shape, everything should go smoothly," the doctor reassured my mother before turning to me again. "Because your child is developing so quickly, I can tell you the sex of the baby now, if you want. Of course, there's always a chance that I'll make a mistake, but that's why we're going to have a few doctors loook at the ultrasound pictures and confirm if I'm right or wrong." She stood, sitting the tool she had used aside, handing me some paper towels.

"Clean yourself off, Sweety. I'm going to go confirm my guess and when I get back let me know if you want to know," she said, heading out the room, the door clicking shut quietly.

I turned to my mom and asked, "Do you think I should find out?"

"I would," she said, smiling widely. "That way you get the right clothes and stuff; you'll be prepared when the baby gets here. But," she added, "it's your decision. If you want to wait, go ahead."

"Hm...," I began, thinking about what to do.

Dr. Hayashi quickly returned, a folder in her hands. She smiled down at me. "So, Mina. You wanna know?"

I looked up at her and bit my lip absently. Finally, I nodded slowly. "Yeah, I do."

"Alright, Sweety," she started, opening the file and pulling a picture out from the sonagram that had just occured. She handed the picture to me. "You're going to have a girl, Mina," she said, her smile widening at my shocked face.

I held the picture carefully in my hands, my fingers absently tracing the edges. As I stared down at the photo of my daughter, tears pricked at my eyes. _I can't believe I'm having a girl..._

_-:-_

Okay, so, there's chapter four! :D Sorry it's taken me so long to update. I'm having a bit of trouble with this story. Also, I was starting to write this chapter two days ago, but I was interrupted by a very rude, nasty spider. So I just got arround to finishing. :)

Thanks for reading and being patient. Please review! :D I'll try to update a lot quicker next time, promise!


	5. Chapter 5

Okay, so I'm back with chapter five already! :D

Hope you enjoy! :P

_-:-_

_Renji's POV:_

Stepping out of Yamamoto's office, I sighed, thankful to be done with our awkward meeting. He had called me in to tell me there was some problem in my division and the lieutenant felt she couldn't handle it. He asked me to stay and help her out, forcing me to tell him about my situation with Mina.

He practically lectured me the whole time about being responsible. I honestly didn't expect it. He told me it was just like when I told Mina about Soul Society; it didn't just effect me. It effected the whole squad because I would have to stay on Earth for so long. He managed to make the lecture last a good forty-five minutes, but it was finally over. As I headed back to my division I noticed Rangiku leading a large group toward me, causing me to sigh.

"Hey, Renji! Where are you going?" she asked, grinning at me as she came to a stop right in front of me.

"I was just heading to my division. Apparently there was some issue they need my help wi-" I began before she cut me off.

"No, no, don't worry about that. It'll be there tomorrow, you need to come have some sake with us!" Rangiku exclaimed, pushing the subject aside. As much as I wanted to forget about it, I shook my head.

"I might as well deal with it while I'm here," I objected.

"It's just a paper work thing, nothing huge. Come on," she continued, her voice now whiney. "Come with us."

Sighing, I asked, "How long do you think it'll take?"

"All you have to do is find the mistake your lieutenant made and show her how to fix it, then she will. A few minutes, probably. Besides, she's probably already getting ready to leave. Come _on_."

"Fine," I answered, shrugging.

"Yay!" Rangiku exclaimed turning back to the group she was leading. "Okay, Shuuhei, Renji said yes. Anyone else?" she questioned.

Shaking his head, Hisagi said, "Nope."

"Come on, Rangiku," Yumichika interrupted. "Five people is plenty, let's just go."

"Hold your horses, Yumichika," she returned. "Fine, let's go!" Heading toward her division, Rangiku was obviously pleased with how many people agreed to drink with her.

I allowed her to continue leading and fell into step next to Hisagi. Ikkaku stood on my other side and looked over at me. "You're back early, something wrong?"

"Yamamoto called me back because of the situation in my squad," I answered, not returning his gaze.

Nodding, he continued. "How long are you here this time?"

"Just until I fix what Shirogane messed up, then I'll go back," I stated.

He nodded and we all continued toward Rangiku's office. As we entered I noticed a bottle of unopened sake sitting on the table next to a stack of glasses. We all sat down at the table, facing each other as Rangiku poured us all a glass. After she handed me one, I took a long pull and sat it back on the table, leaning back in my chair.

"Something bothering you, Renji?" Rangiku asked, smiling at me from across the table.

"Just...tired," I stated, my exhaustion sinking in suddenly.

"You look worried," she continued, her lips pursed noticeably.

Shaking my head slightly, I dismissed it. She allowed it and turned to Hisagi, starting a conversation with him.

During the next ten minutes Rangiku poured drink after drink, and almost every time she tried to fill mine I declined. Before they all got too hammered to remember what I had to say I decided to tell them what was bothering me. I waited, knowing Rangiku would ask again like she had a couple of minutes before.

"Come on Renji, what's wrong?" she questioned while filling Ikkaku's glass to the rim. "You've been quiet all night and you've only had a few glasses of sake. What's the matter?" As she finished her question the other three turned to look at me also.

I sighed quietly before sitting up in my chair, resting my elbows on the table, and leaning forward. Before I could explain Rangiku started. "I knew something was wrong!"

Nodding, I ignored her and said, "Mina's pregnant."

First they looked surprised, their eyebrows raising as they stared at me. After a second they all had grins on their faces, I assumed from being buzzed.

"Congrats, Renji!" Ikkaku exclaimed, raising his glass.

"Shut up, it's not a good thing!" I responded. "She's only seventeen, she's not even done with high school. Plus, do you honestly think _me_ having a kid is a good thing?" They grew quiet at my words and continued to stare at me. I laid my head in my hands, frustrated.

Suddenly a small hand was on my shoulder, obviously Rangiku. I sighed before looking up at her, seeing her grinning face tilt closer to mine as she leaned across the table. The scent of alcohol flooded her breath. "Renji, there's nothing to worry about. You'll be a great father!" her comment caused me to roll my eyes. "Besides, this gives you reason to marry the girl already!"

"I don't want to _marry_ her, idiot!" I exclaimed, regretting telling them at all.

"But I thought you loved her," she continued, her face falling as she blinked in confusion.

"Yeah, but I don't want to be married. Especially if she's _seventeen_," I answered.

"Well," she started again, changing the subject, "how long are you going to be in the World of the Living?"

"Yamamoto told me I could stay for the next seven months," I stated.

"Wow, that's a long time to be on Earth," she said, leaning back in her chair. "Well, I still don't think you should worry 'bout it, Renji. I know you think I'm just drunk, and maybe I am, but you really are going to be a pretty good father," Rangiku said, flinging her glass around carelessly. "I have faith that you'll do great."

I nodded, resting my head in my hand. "Thanks," I said absently, her words not appeasing me at all. They continued talking, changing the subject from me and to something I didn't bother paying attention to. They continued to drink while I continued to focus on what I was going to do about my situation.

_-:-_

_ Mina's POV:_

After coming home from my doctors appointment I had a quick lunch and called Rukia. She told me that her and Ichigo be over in a few minutes, so I sat on the couch and waited. I held the picture of the baby in my hand, looking down at it, smiling. I was so surprised how happy knowing what the baby was made me. Of course by now I had gotten attached to the baby, I knew there was no way I could give her away. But hearing that I was having a girl just showed me how much I loved her. I couldn't explain why I suddenly felt so strongly toward her other than I was her mother and that just sort of hit me.

A moment later the door was opening and Rukia and Ichigo came into view, hand in hand. Rukia smiled down at me and noticed the picture in my hand. "Hey, is that the sonogram photo?" she asked, pointing with her free hand.

Nodding, I said, "Yep. Wanna see?"

She nodded also, and pulled away from Ichigo to approach me. As I handed the picture to her, her smile grew wider. "Wow, Mina...This is so cute," she said, returning her gaze to me. "Did you find out what the baby is?"

"Yep, it's a girl!" I said excitedly, grinning back up at her.

"That's great!" she returned, glancing over at Ichigo before returning her attention to me. "You and Renji are gonna have the cutest baby girl!"

Laughing quietly, I thanked her. "So, are you guys ready to go see that movie?"

"Yep, whenever you are," she answered, handing the picture back to me before returning to Ichigo's side.

After sitting the picture onto the coffee table, I stood and cupped my mouth with my hands, shouting, "I'll be back later, Mom."

"Alright, be careful, Sweety!" she returned from her bedroom.

We left and headed toward the cinema, our walk filled with comfortable conversation. As we stood in line to buy the tickets Rukia turned to me and asked, "Do you know when Renji's coming back? Have you heard from him?"

Shaking my head, I said, "Nope. He hasn't called. He left a note saying it should only be a few days, but I'm not sure. He's supposed to tell Yamamoto what's going on so he can stay here the rest of the time."

She nodded and said, "That's good. I'm glad he's taking care of things."

I nodded also, not as relieved with what he was doing. Rukia seemed to notice.

"Look, Mina, I know you're worried about Renji's ability to take care of you and your baby, but you shouldn't. He's a really responsible guy, I'm sure you've noticed that over the last two years. And he loves you. This whole situation obviously freaks him out, but he's dealing with it for you and her," she stated, pointing at my stomach. "Don't doubt him. He'll be able to tell and that's only going to make things harder on him. You can trust Renji, you know that."

I was surprised by her words, but she was right. Renji had taken care of me ever since we met two and a half years ago. And I knew he'd be just as responsible with the baby. "You're right," I said, smiling back at her slightly. "Thanks."

"No problem," she answered after looking at me skeptically, like she could tell there was something still bothering me. She seemed to ignore her guess and we all headed into the theater. We took seats at the top, Ichigo sitting between Rukia and I. I wasn't sure what we were watching, but I was too distracted by what Rukia had said to really pay attention.

About halfway through the movie I tried to pay attention and found out it was the new gory movie Rukia had been dying to see. Right as I began to focus a woman screamed, causing me to jump and lean closer to Ichigo. He noticed and laughed quietly.

"You okay?" he asked, leaning close enough to whisper in my ear.

"Yeah, sorry," I responded, still pulling myself closer to him while my eyes were glued to the screen.

As the movie ended and the credits started rolling along the screen my thoughts returned to what Rukia had said. My initial worry began playing along my features, I knew. I was worried and my face told everyone. Rukia and Ichigo both noticed as we headed out the cinema's doors. "You okay?" Ichigo asked, nudging me with his elbow lightly.

"Yeah, thanks, I'm fi-" I began before Rukia interrupted.

"What's the matter, Mina? Are you still worried about Renji?" she questioned.

"No, you're right. He's taking care of it, I'm not worried," I answered, trying to get the uncertainty off my face.

"Well, then what's bothering you? Something is," she stated, sure of it.

I slowly nodded and looked away from them. "It's stupid, really. Nothing for you guys to-"

"Mina, tell us," Rukia demanded softly.

I sighed quietly, nodding again. "I'm just...I know Renji's going to take care of us, but..."

"But what?" she asked again, her voice level dropping.

"But...I'm worried he's not going to...love the baby. I keep imagining him thinking of her as another person to protect because he "has to". My father was really important to me, I don't want our daughter to realize something as horrible as her own father not loving her," I said, tears forming along the rim of my eyes.

"Mina...," Rukia began, smiling at me warmly. "Don't think that. I know Renji's not the nicest guy in the world, but he's not heartless. Besides, he's become quite the softy, and I think we have you to thank for that," she continued, her smile growing into a grin. "Honestly, Renji's really not good with kids at all. But trust me, it'll be a completely different story when he sees his own daughter. I promise."

Nodding, I felt a small smile tug at my lips. "Okay. Thanks again, Rukia. You're really good at dealing with my mood swings."

My comment caused her to laugh loudly. "Good, I'm glad I'm helpful," she said.

"But," I started again, looking up at Ichigo. "What about you? How would _you_ personally, as a guy, feel about having a kid?" I asked, getting a surprised look back.

"Uh...," he began, obviously not sure what he should say. "That...depends. When?"

"Now. How would you feel about having a kid now? Do you think you'd be able to care about it and love it even though you're only seventeen?"

Rukia grinned up at him expectantly, causing him to shift nervously. He slowly nodded, ignoring Rukia's smirking face. "Yeah," he said.

I grinned up at him also, laughing quietly. "Okay. I just wanted to know how you felt," I stated, glancing at Rukia, who gave me a skeptical look.

"Why?" he questioned, looking down at Rukia, the idea sinking in. His eyes grew wide with worry. "Rukia are you p-"

"No!" she exclaimed, glaring up at him. "She was just asking, calm down!"

His posture loosened as his shoulders fell, obviously relieved. "Okay."

Laughing again, I placed a hand on his arm. "Sorry, Ichigo, I was just teasing you guys."

Shaking his head, he said, "It's fine."

We headed back to my apartment and they stayed for a few hours to keep me company. They stayed until dinner and then left for home. Even though I was alone, excluding my mother's presence, I felt pretty good. I wasn't worried about Renji's role as our baby's father anymore and I found myself missing him more than usual. I slept that night feeling confident about my future with Renji for the first time in a long time.

_-:-_

_ Renji's POV:_

The next day I headed toward my lieutenant's office and helped her fix the mistake she had made. She kept apologizing for making the error, obviously nervous to have me help her out. I told her it was fine and not to worry, but my words didn't seem to appease her at all. After I had found the mistake and showed her how to fix it, I headed toward Yamamoto's office to tell him I'd be returning to Earth.

On my way I spotted Hisagi and Ikkaku. As they headed toward me their hangovers became more noticeable. "Hey, Renji, you leaving already?" Ikkaku asked, stopping in front of me.

Nodding, I said, "Yep. Shirogane has the paperwork under control now, so I'll see you guys later." I stepped around them, eager to get away.

Of course they followed, and their choice of conversation just happen to be about Mina. "I can't believe you're gonna be a father," Hisagi said, a smile present in his voice.

"Yeah, I feel bad for the kid," Ikkaku added, causing a glare to make it's way into my expression. I ignored their jokes, telling myself they were still a little buzzed.

"Come on, Renji, we're just messing around," Hisagi stated, realizing how angry I was.

"Whatever," I said, ready to get away from them.

"What are you going to do about her?" Shuuhei continued, referring to Mina.

"What do you mean?" I asked, slightly cocking an eyebrow.

"You said you're not going to marry her. What are you going to do then?"

"Nothing," I answered, still a little confused.

"You're just going to keep dating her even though you have a child together?" Ikkaku asked.

"Yeah. Just because she's having our kid doesn't mean I have to marry her. I don't _plan _on marrying her," I said, even more annoyed.

"That's kind of horrible, Renji," he continued.

"How?" I questioned, my anger and impatience leaking into my voice.

"Because, she thinks it's serious. She thinks you're serious about her, but you never plan on marrying her. Ever? I know Mina, she seems like the type who wants one thing with her life: a family. And by getting her pregnant and not marrying her it's like you're dangling that in her face. It's pretty shitty of you." Hisagi's words surprisingly got he were talking about anyone other than Mina, I really wouldn't care that much. That sounds pretty bad, but it's true.

Sighing, I shook my head. "Look, I've got to go. I'll talk to you guys later," I said, happy to change the subject.

"Okay, see you later," Hisagi said, dismissing the lecture.

"See ya, Renji," Ikkaku said, raising a hand before leaving with Shuuhei.

"Bye," I stated absently, continuing toward my I had to go back to Earth, I had less time to deal with this stress. I had to regain my composure before getting back to Mina, the last thing I wanted to do was worry her more than she already was. I continued walking, sighing again, and forcing myself to be less pessimistic about what was going on.

_-:-_

Okay, so I was going to make this chapter longer, but I have decided to cut it off right here. :) I hope you all like this chapter, please review! :D


	6. Chapter 6

Hello! :3 I'm back with chapter six! I know it's been awhile since I've last updated, sorry. I usually do a chapter of this and then a chapter of my IchiRuki fic, but I struggled with the latest chapter of my other fic. So I apologize. :)

Anyway, here's chapter six.

_-:-_

_ Mina's POV:_

The day after I went to the movies with Ichigo and Rukia I woke up early, finding that my mother had gone grocery shopping. Seeing that my room was pretty trashed I decided to clean up a little. I turned on some music and quickly got dressed. Afterwords I made the bed and started picking up the dirty clothes off of my floor, having trouble bending down.

After picking up my room I moved to the living room and kitchen, the music flowing from my CD player following me down the hall and into the open space. When both rooms were rid of mess I was ready to sit on the couch and relax. I wasn't really used to getting tired so easily, but I made sure I didn't over-do anything.

As I took my place on the couch and leaned against the cushions, I heard my phone going off over the hushed music and quickly stood to retrieve it from my bedroom. After picking it up off of my night stand and clicking the green button, I held the phone up to my ear and walked back into the living room. "Hello?"

"Mina, is that you?" Rukia's frantic voice asked on the other line, causing me to worry immediately. I started pacing around the living room, circling the coffee table before going to the table, repeating my steps.

"Yeah, Rukia, this is me. What's up?" I questioned, keeping my tone calm.

"Mina, this is horrible, I can't tell him, I just don't know what I'm going to do! You have to help me, I'm freaking out, please Mina! You-"

"Rukia, Rukia," I said sternly, getting her to quiet down. "Calm. Down. Now, tell me what's going on. I'm not understanding what you're trying to get across."

I heard her inhale sharply a few times on the other line, her breathes sounding like gasps. Finally she stopped and fell silent, only for a moment. "I think I'm pregnant," she stated. I stopped dead in my tracks, a hand going to my forehead absently.

"But...I...Rukia, you need to talk to a doctor. To make sure-"

"No! No, I can't!" she responded loudly, her voice shaking as it grew in volume.

"Okay, calm down. Just...so did you at least take a test? Or are you just assuming?" I asked, leaning against the wall for support. I was surprised how it felt being on the other side of this conversation. I felt just as panicked as I did when I found out _I_ was pregnant, and I _wanted _this to happen. I felt horrible for ever wishing this upon anyone, let alone one of my best friends.

"I took one of those test things," she answered.

"And it came out positive, right?"

"Of course, otherwise I wouldn't be freaking out!" she exclaimed, her words displaying her agitation.

"Okay, okay, sorry. Still, Rukia, you need to talk to a doctor. They'll make sure for you," I said, trying to be reassuring.

"No, then I'll have to tell Ichigo!" she exclaimed, her voice whiny. "There's no point in freaking him out if the test was a flook."

"Good point. I'd give you a ride, but my mom's gone. Hm...What about Isshin? He could-" I started before Rukia's loud answer interrupted me.

"Are you kidding me? No way! Do you know how uncomfortable that would be? He doesn't know how to take anything serious, I am not talking to him about it! Besides, he'd never be able to keep it to himself, Ichigo would know before we could get to the door!"

"Alright, sorry, just calm down," I said, a little irritated with her anger. I forced myself to be patient, I knew how she felt. "How about you wait until my mom gets home. I can call you and we'll come pick you up."

"Fine, but you have to help me. What am I supposed to tell Ichigo, I can't tell him about this-" Her voice cut off as she got distracted.

"Rukia?" I asked, but she didn't answer me.

"Ichigo...," I heard her voice trail off.

"What can't you tell me?" Ichigo's voice was faint and I had a hard time deciphering his question.

"I...Uh...," she said, her nerves fraying. "I...Can we go to Mina's? _Please_?"

I couldn't hear Ichigo's reply, but I could imagine his worried expression. "O-okay, Mina, we're coming over. We'll be there in a few," she said.

"Okay, but Rukia, are you going to tell hi-" She didn't answer. The line went dead and I sighed, closing my phone and walking to the couch, taking a seat.

I waited and after five minutes I heard the door open, positive it wasn't Ichigo and Rukia. "Mom, is that you?" I asked, still leaning back against the couch.

"Nope," he said, his tall stature appearing at the top of the steps. Holding a finger up, Renji walked back to my room and closed the door, getting in his gigai. When he reappeared he was in clean jeans and and a long sleeved shirt.

The sight of him calmed me considerably. I was really happy he was home and I couldn't hide my excitement to see him again, even if he'd only been gone for a few days.

Noticing my grin, he smiled also and sat next to me on the couch, laying an arm on the couch behind my shoulders. "What? You already missed me?" he asked, teasing me.

My smile widened and I nodded, leaning my head against his arm. "Yeah," I answered, grabbing his hand.

Leaning back against the back of the couch, Renji laid his legs on the coffee table. As he did this, something on the table caught his eye and caused him to pull his legs back and sit up. He grabbed the picture from my sonogram and studied it. I smiled and waited for his reaction, sitting up as well.

He turned to look at me and asked, "What is this?"

I couldn't help but laugh. "You've never seen a sonogram picture before?" I questioned, getting a nod. "Well," I started, leaning closer to him and pointing at the photo in his hands. "That's our baby, Renji." Again, I looked up at him to see his reaction. His tattooed eyebrows rose as he continued to stare at the dark picture.

"I don't...see how this is a baby," he said, looking more perplexed.

His answer earned another chuckle. "It's hard to tell, but she's not fully developed. Her features aren't-"

"Wait, she?" he asked, color seeming to drain from his face.

"Oh, Renji, I'm sorry! I didn't even ask if you wanted to know!" I said frantically, forgetting that he didn't know about the sex of our baby.

"No, it's okay...I just...I didn't expect to know so soon...," he answered, his voice growing quiet.

I watched him, my worry getting the better of me. "You okay?" I asked, placing a hand on his knee and slightly shaking it to get his attention.

He nodded and opened his mouth, about to speak when the door flew open, getting both of our attention.

"I told you, It's nothing, just leave me alone!" I heard Rukia scream as she stomped up the stairs.

"It's obviously _something_ if you're so freaked out about it! You were practically crying when I came in my room!" Ichigo's voice sounded, anger and concern clear in his tone. They both appeared at the top of the staircase, Rukia leading as she walked across the living room and turned to look at him, a glare on her face and her arms crossed over her chest.

Dropping the picture back onto the coffee table, Renji asked, "What's going on?"

"_Nothing!_"Rukia hissed back at him.

"What the hell's your problem?" Renji questioned, glaring back at her. "Excuse me for caring!"

"Sh, Renji, don't," I said, grabbing his arm and standing, using him for support. "Rukia, calm down, okay?"

"No!" she screamed, tears building up in her eyes as she maintained her scowl. "_I_ can't do this! And I can't do it to Ichigo, I can't! I c-ca-" she stuttered, cutting herself off by hiding her face in her hands. Ichigo crossed the room and hugged her, pulling her close. She wrapped her arms around his waist and cried loudly, her small hands clutching the back of his T-shirt. Everyone was startled by her outburst, crying like that wasn't like Rukia. But it was expected.

"Rukia, tell me what's going on," he said calmly, not seeming to notice mine or Renji's stares.

Shaking her head, she pulled away and wiped stray tears off of her face. "I c-can't."

"Yes, you can," he insisted, his arms still loosely wrapped around her slim frame.

"Maybe," I started, getting their attention. "Maybe you should tell him, Rukia. You'll feel better, I promise."

"Wait, you know?" Ichigo asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Nodding, I said, "Yeah. I was the one she was talking to on the phone earlier."

"Mina, I can't, really. I-" Rukia started again.

I shook my head as I answered. "Yes you can, Rukia. Just say it. He needs to know."

Sighing quietly, she took a step away from Ichigo and looked up at him, her expression stern as a small glare returned to her face."Ichigo, I think I'm pregnant."

His eyes grew wide and his hands fell from her shoulders suddenly. His mouth hung open as we all stayed in place, completely silent. Ichigo was staring off, his gaze floating over Rukia's head. He finally re-focused and looked back at her, about to say something when Renji interrupted him.

"What?" he questioned, anger clear in his tone. I didn't really think much of it, but it was expected that Renji behave as such.

Rukia directed her gaze at him as her glare deepened. "Shut up, Renji," she said, managing to keep her voice calm.

"No!" he shouted back, glaring also. He turned to Ichigo before continuing. "What the hell did you do to her?"

Ichigo's anger appeared on his face suddenly, his blank stare replaced with a deep glare at Renji's words. "Shut the fuck up, _you_ really have no reason to be pissed off at me!"

"Yes I do! You knocked Rukia up!"

"And you knocked Mina up, you idiot!"

"Shut up! Both of you!" Rukia demanded, her tone stronger. "You are _not_ fighting right now!" At her words they both quieted down but continued to glare at each other. "Ichigo," her voice got his attention again, his glare fading to his usual, mild scowl. "I need you to take me to the doctor, to make sure."

"Sure," he answered quietly.

"Uh, do you want me to go with you, Rukia?" I asked, absently taking a step closer to her.

Shaking her head she said, "No, thanks. Ichigo will be there, I'll be fine." Stepping closer to him, Rukia grabbed Ichigo's hands and tugged on them, letting him know she was ready to leave. He noticed and headed toward the stairs with Rukia in tow.

"Good luck, Rukia. Maybe you're not," I said, causing her to stop before descending the staircase.

"Thanks, Mina. For all your help," she said, smiling at me slightly.

"No problem. If you need anything, you can always call me."

"You better call when you find out," Renji said, his voice demanding.

She nodded and continued down the stairs with Ichigo, the door quietly clicking shut. I turned and looked at Renji, noticing his deep glare still present. I had to hold back a sigh. He was finally home for good and he was in a terrible mood. _Of course._

"Are you alright, Renji?" I questioned calmly, not letting my agitation seep into my voice.

"I'm _fine_," he retorted, standing and heading toward the stairs also.

"Wait, Renji, where are you going?" I asked, a frown crossing my features.

"I'm taking a walk." He stomped down the staircase loudly and slammed the door, leaving me alone in the apartment.

_-:-_

I waited in the living room for Renji to come back, expecting him only to be gone for a half an hour. But he didn't. He never called and didn't pick up an hour after he left when I called him.

It was about an hour and a half after both the worried couple and Renji left the apartment when I heard the door open. Sure it was Renji, I sat on the couch and waited for him to come up the stairs. When Ichigo's bright orange mop popped up over the small wall dividing the stairs and the living room floor I stood and cocked an eyebrow. Rukia wasn't with him.

He stared at me, his expression full of terror. I knew that Rukia was pregnant before he could tell me. "She is," he stated weakly, a hand reaching out and grabbing the small dividing wall for support as he seemed to be shaky on his feet.

"Ichigo, where's Rukia?" I asked, concerned about why he wasn't with her when I knew she needed him.

"She's home. She told me to leave," he said, his voice shaking slightly.

"Why? What happened?" I questioned, walking up to him and grabbing his arm, leading him to the couch carefully.

After we sat he spoke up again. "When we got home she was all quiet and I didn't know what to say. So I said that she could have told me right away. Well, that just pissed her off. She started screaming, saying she was scared and it wasn't her fault. I tried to tell her that it was okay, but she told me to leave. She said she didn't want to see me, so I just left," he said, staring ahead of himself with his horrified expression still plastered onto his face.

"Ichigo, don't worry. She really is just scared. She'll realize that she was overreacting, just give her time to cool off," I answered calmly.

He slowly started shaking his head. "I know, that's _not_ what I'm worried about..."

Cocking an eyebrow slightly, I asked, "Then what is it?"

"I'm _scared_," he admitted, his hands nervously balling into fists. "I'm seventeen, I can't do this!"

I nodded, realizing how obvious it was. And of course he had every reason to be afraid, but the last thing I wanted was for him to bail out. I didn't really think Ichigo was capable of doing something so horrible, especially when he loved Rukia as much as he did. But the way he was talking, it worried me.

"Ichigo, you're going to be fine," I said, grabbing on of his hands lightly. "I know it seems really scary now, but don't worry. You have tons of people to help you and Rukia out, including me. Just calm down, alright?" I placed a hand on his back as he laid his head in his hands, his elbows resting on his knees.

Nodding he continued to hold his head in his hands. I put my arm around his shoulders and slightly pulled him closer. He leaned his head toward me, allowing me to comfort him. His hands retreated as he laid his head on my shoulder.

I hadn't heard the door open before seeing Renji at the top of the stairs, I had been too wrapped up in my conversation with Ichigo. He gave us a skeptical look, obviously not happy with our contact, but I ignored his petty jealousy and had no intention of pushing Ichigo away.

"So, she's pregnant?" Renji's voice boomed, killing the silence. He was demanding an answer more than asking a question.

Ichigo nodded, not looking up at him. I turned my gaze to Renji and felt a small glare cross my features, warning him to behave. He rolled his eyes, understanding and just went down the hall, not saying another word.

Ichigo pulled away from me after a few more minutes, looking more exhausted than scared now. He stood and said, "I better get back home."

Nodding, I walked him to the top of the staircase. "If you need anything, Ichigo, just let me know. Okay?" I asked, deeply concerned for them. Rukia was obviously not in the best emotional state, that was expected. But Ichigo seemed to be panicking also, I just prayed he could at least act strong for Rukia. I understood what he was going through, though.

"Yeah. Thanks, Mina. Sorry to just drop by," he said, his usual scowl suddenly reappearing on his face. That relieved some of my worries.

"No problem. Bye Ichigo, be careful on your way home." With that, he left.

I felt my glare from earlier return as I headed down the hallway. I entered my room and found Renji laying on the small bed tucked in the corner, his long legs hanging over the edge. He was lying on his stomach, his face burried in his crossed arms and he didn't seem to notice my entrance. I forced myself to calm down and my glare quickly faded.

"Renji, are you okay?" I asked, my voice collected.

He didn't answer. He just laid there, not moving at all. I crossed the room and sat down next to him on the bed, absently laying a hand on his back. "Renji?"

Sighing quietly, he sat up on his elbows and looked over at me. "What?"

"Are you alright?"

He looked ahead of himself again, focusing on the wall of my bedroom. Slowly he nodded his reply, still averting my gaze.

I grabbed one of his hands and scooted closer to him carefully, sliding down so I was laying on my back next to him. He wrapped an arm around my waist just as carefully and laid his head on my shoulder. "Look," I began, absently messing with his hair. "I know you're upset Renji. Rukia's you're best friend, I get it. But you can't just get mad at Ichigo. The last thing he needs is to be screamed at, he's anxious enough. Besides, he's right, you really have no right to be mad about something like this," I said, teasing him lightly. He didn't answer, not finding it amusing.

"You know I'm right," I stated, serious again. "Just back off a little, alright? And don't worry, Rukia's strong. She'll be alright."

He stayed quiet for another moment before asking, "Since when did you get sensible?" His tone told me he was teasing me, calm.

Smiling widely, I shrugged lightly. "I don't know. I've had a long time to think about their situation, just not about them."

He nodded again, seeming to get serious again. "You're pretty calm about this, aren't you?" he asked, talking about our own situation, I knew.

Nodding I said, "Yeah, pretty much. I know it's going to be hard, but I feel a lot better with you here." He seemed to tense up at my statement, confusing me. "What?" I asked, squeezing his hand lightly.

"You just...have too much faith in me," he stated.

Laughing quietly, I asked, "You think so?"

"Yes."

"Well, I don't," I answered absently, leaning my head against his. I looked down at him and waited for a response, but he just stared off, his face not giving away what he was thinking at all. I decided to drop it, not feeling like getting into another serious conversation tonight. I was just glad he was home and that he was calmed down again.

_-:-_

Okay, so there's chapter six! :D

I'm so glad I finally finished writing this! :3 It only took me two or three days, but still. Too long, lol. :P

Ha ah, I hope you all enjoyed Rukia's little surprise, lol! ;3

Hope you all enjoyed, please review!


	7. Chapter 7

Okay, so I know it's been a long time since I've last updated. I am super sorry, I have been really busy and I sort of lost my game plan for this fic. I had it all worked out, knew exactly what I was going to do, and then forgot it all. So, bear with me.

Anyway, here's chapter 7. (Does anyone else think this story is going super slow? Ha ha, sorry, my bad. :3)

_-:-_

_ Mina's POV:_

Renji and I hadn't heard from either Rukia or Ichigo for weeks after they found out about Rukia. They didn't return our calls or text messages, they didn't come over, and they gave us no explanation. At first it sort of aggravated me, but I soon became worried.

Friday night, two and a half weeks after Ichigo had left the apartment to get back to Rukia, Renji and I were sitting on the couch, idly watching a program on the TV. It was going on nine O' clock, but I still had Rukia and Ichigo on my mind. I had been worrying over them since a few days after we last saw them and it seemed nonstop.

As we rested on the couch the sun began sinking into the horizon, the light starting to drain from the room, the walls drenched in a weak orange and deep red. A thunderstorm was expected to drift over the town in the next few hours, but the bright color of the sky, even though it was fading, made it seem like that wasn't likely.

As I stared at the wall, watching the darkness seep over the light until it was completely gone, I sighed and looked up at Renji, my face resting against the arm he had resting along the back of the couch. "We should go to Ichigo's house and check up on them," I said, not seeming to get his attention. "It's been over two weeks, I'm worried."

"Alright," he answered, finally looking back at me.

Nodding, I sat up and began to use him for support while standing. Before I had the chance to actually stand I felt his hand on my arm, stopping me.

"Not tonight, Mina. It's too late to just drop by. Tomorrow morning, okay?" he asked.

I gave him a concerned look but only nodded again, leaning back against him. I relaxed and forced myself to calm down, knowing that they would be okay when we saw them the next day. My eyelids slid shut as I started to realize how the worry had taken such a toll on me. Resting a hand against my swollen stomach, which had grown even bigger in the previous two weeks, I felt myself begin to drift to sleep. The rain had started then, pouring in sheets and slamming against the roof, the noise more comforting. I was so close to unconsciousness, but the door swinging open suddenly startled me back awake.

Sitting up, I felt Renji pull away from me before standing, his tall form heading toward the stairs quickly. He was either worried or mad, I was guessing mad. As he reached his destination he stopped and cocked an eyebrow. A moment later Rukia walked passed him, not giving him a second glance, her gaze fixed on me, worry filling her expression.

"Rukia," I said, surprised by her unexpected visit. She was drenched, her hair flat, the usual volume to it gone as it lay against her bony shoulders. Her blue dress was sticking to her thin legs and her flats were spilling out rain water all over the carpet. "Rukia, what are you doing outside at this time? Did you walk here? And you didn't even take an umbrella, you must be freezing!" I stood quickly, using a lot of effort, and headed to the bathroom before she could explain.

I quickly grabbed two towels and headed back to the living room, handing one to her and draping the other over her shaking shoulders. Without a word she started drying her hair off with the other one.

Again, I walked away from her, not giving her the chance to speak. I wobbled into the kitchen and grabbed the kettle, filling it with water and setting it on the stove. After turning the eye on and setting it to low I grabbed a few coffee mugs from the cabinet and placed some tea packets inside. "Renji, can you grab her some dry clothes?" I asked, not looking up. He headed down the hall and entered my room while Rukia just stood in the middle of the living room, drying herself off.

I glanced at her before turning my gaze back to my busy hands. "What's going on? Why haven't you or Ichigo returned our calls? We've been worried sick over you two," I stated, my voice level low.

Her voice was surprisingly weak. Although she looked like a mess, I expected Rukia to hold her head high and explain as if nothing was wrong, to be strong like she usually was. But she didn't, she _wasn't_. She _was_ a mess, and it was clear in her tone and posture. "We've been...," she trailed off, avoiding looking at me while she cleared her throat, obviously on the verge of tears. "We haven't really been okay since we found out," she answered, her voice low.

"I see," I answered, not sure how to take the news. It had been weeks and they still hadn't pulled it together. Both Ichigo and Rukia were extremely strong, emotionally as well as physically. I always thought that they could handle any situation, but this seemed to be too much for both of them.

"We can't do this, Mina," she continued, her eyes now glued to my face. I finally looked back at her and held her gaze; her eyes were pleading for me to understand. "All we've done is fight about what we should do. He refuses to let me put it up for adoption, but I can't just throw something so huge as an infant into his life. Because of me," she began, stopping her self to take a steadying breathe. "Because of me, he's in the middle of my Shinigami shit! And he can barely handle being a soul reaper and a student! Let alone if he has to be a father too!" Tears flooded her eyes and ran down her face, her hands brushing a few away absently. "He's only seventeen. I've taken his social life away from him and he barely sleeps as it is. I can't add more stress to his life, I refuse to do that to him."

I stared at her, my hands freezing at her statement. My throat seemed to close up as tears stung my own eyes. "Rukia...what do you want to do about this baby?" I asked, denial building up, building a wall in my mind that kept that horrible word out of reach.

"I want an abortion, Mina," she said, her voice hushed, the wall destroyed.

My eyes grew wide. "Wh-...Rukia, you can't!"

"Yes, I can," she stated, determined. "Look, I know, it's..._horrible_. I don't really agree with it, but...I love Ichigo too much to not do it."

"You know what that means, don't you?" I demanded, my voice surprisingly harsh as a deep glare set on my face. "You're going to murder your own child so Ichigo will have it easier?"

"Stop, Mina," she said, hurt crossing her features.

"No! You're okay to sacrifice your own baby because you don't want to put more responsibility on Ichigo? Well, he needs to take responsibility for his actions! And the responsible thing that _you_ could do is give it up for adoption anyway!"

"Stop it!" she exclaimed, more tears streaming down her face, but my anger was still strong.

"How could you do something so immoral to your own child? What is-"

"Shut up, Mina!" Renji's voice boomed loudly, cutting me off as he emerged from the hallway. He took his place next to Rukia and laid a hand on her shoulder, pulling her closer. She hugged onto his waist tightly as she began to cry loudly.

Directing his glare at me, Renji allowed it and continued. "What the hell's your problem?" he asked me angrily.

Returning the gesture I ignored his question and directed my glare to Rukia. "I'm sorry, Rukia. That was uncalled for. But k-uh, getting an abortion isn't going to solve anything. Do you want to live with that regret for the rest of your life?" My voice had calmed and my glare faded as she looked up at me. "I mean, imagine in about eight or nine years you and Ichigo are married and are thinking about having a baby. I can promise you that every time you talk about it or think about it, this baby is going to come to mind. Along with questions like 'What would it have been like?' or 'Who would it look like more?' Trust me, Rukia, you don't want to live with those thoughts for the rest of your life."

One of her short eyebrows rose as she listened. "How do you know so much about this? Why should I trust you?" She didn't sound rude or unbelieving, just curious and a little confused.

"My grandma had an abortion when she was young. She was dating my grandpa when it happened, but it wasn't his. She had gotten raped and thought she wouldn't be able to love the baby, so she aborted it. When she got pregnant with my mom she kept thinking about her lost child and she even had nightmares about it. She told me that it was the biggest mistake of her life and that I should never even think about it, no matter what my circumstances. So I haven't," I answered her, getting a small nod.

"So, please, Rukia. I'm sorry for what I said, but you really shouldn't do it. I know it's tough, but...you'll really regret it."

"Then what should I do? I don't think I can give it up after I've seen it." Her question was drenched in sorrow; she was pleading for someone to make the decision for her.

"Keep it," I said. "I know, you're scared. Trust me, I understand. But if you're looking for an answer, that's what my answer is. But honestly, what you need to do is talk to Ichigo. He has just as much say in this as you do, and you can't make such a huge decision without him. Okay?"

She nodded slowly and muttered a thanks. "I just...I need to lie down," she said, looking as exhausted as she claimed to be.

"I'll take you home," Renji said, lightly grabbing her arm.

"Thanks," Rukia said. "And thank you so much, Mina, for being so honest with me. I really appreciate it."

"No problem. Now go on, get some rest," I answered, hugging her briefly.

"Okay," she said, about to head down the stairs.

"Get dressed first, before you get sick," I said, reminding her about the dry clothes in her hand. She nodded and headed to the bathroom.

I looked up at Renji and smiled as best as I could. "I'm sorry I was so harsh to her," I said.

He shook his head absently. "Don't worry about it," he said honestly.

I nodded and we fell silent, waiting for Rukia. A moment later she was exiting the bathroom in a pair of my sweatpants and a T-shirt. I walked to the closet in front of the stairs and pulled out an old pair of tennis shoes. Handing them to her, she slipped them on quickly and headed downstairs without another word.

"I'll be back soon," Renji said, taking a step closer to me and kissing me quickly.

"Okay, be careful driving in this rain," I answered, watching him walk away.

"Yep," he said before I heard the click of the door.

_Poor Rukia..._, I thought, more worried about both Ichigo and Rukia. I had quickly become happy about my situation, and all I wanted was for Rukia to feel the same way, no matter how much we might struggle. Sighing, I poured the steaming water into one of the mugs I had gotten out and sat on the couch, waiting for Renji's return.

_-:-_

Okay, so. I'm really sorry this took SO long. I had a total writer's block, but only for THIS story! It was soooo frustrating! Not to mention I had no time to really write much. But I officially have a solid plot for this story again, because I forgot the first one and made a new one! :D Which I think is much better, personally! And because of this, I should be updating more frequently and more often. But again, I can't promise you anything. :3 Thanks for reading, please review!


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